Head coach Robert de Pauw, who will leave Leverkusen at the end of the season alongside captain Elisa Senß, is aware of the emotional significance of this game. “Every player has to know what it means to walk out in the derby against Köln with the Bayer Cross on their chest. It’s one of the most important games of the year,” said the Dutchman. “We need to go into the game with an especially big emotiveness and passion. I want to see that in the challenges.” The 1-0 win in the reverse fixture in Cologne will serve as a good lesson for that. “That gave us a lot of confidence. We want to see that feeling again,” stressed de Pauw, who added: “I also want to remain unbeaten in derbies during my time at Leverkusen.”
He doesn’t want his impending departure at the end of the season to be a factor in the remaining games. “It doesn’t change much for me. The motivation to get the most out of the season is still huge. We’re in fifth place and want to remain there at the very least. That was our goal before the season,” de Pauw stated. The belief in that objective remains big after the recent goalless draw away at Freiburg where the team lacked “finesse in the final third”. “I have great confidence in the team that we can do it. The best players will continue to play every week.”
De Pauw believes that Köln, who are ninth in the table with 14 points, will be confident after their 2-1 win over Werder Bremen at the larger RheinEnergieStadion, but also stressed: “They can still feel the pressure in the relegation battle below and will come here motivated. De Pauw and his team want to put up resistance against the opposition’s “very busy” attack with January signing Carlotta Wamser by using “Bayer 04 style”.
The women will then face Essen away from home on Sunday, 24 March (6.30pm) before the international break. “The league’s final straight begins after the break. We need to create a good position for ourselves in the games against Köln and in Essen. They will be two heated fixtures,” concluded de Pauw.
Tickets for the derby at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion are available to buy HERE in the online shop or on the gate on Monday.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-0 win at SGS Essen on the 24th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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Bayer 04 put in a brilliant performance to beat RB Leipzig 4-1 on Bundesliga matchday 32 and are now fourth in a Champions League spot. The Black and Reds took control of the game right from the start and, with 75 per cent possession at one stage, took a 2-0 lead into the break through Patrik Schick (25’) and Nathan Tella (45+1’). The visitors initially tried to do more after the break, but the Werkself remained determined and Schick scored his second goal to increase the lead to 3-0 (76'). The Red Bulls pulled a goal back through Christoph Baumgartner (80'), but the disciplined Leverkusen side were not rattled - and certainly not Schick: The Czechia international crowned a brilliant display with his third goal shortly before the final whistle to make the final score 4-1.
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In the previous game against RB Leipzig in December last year, the Werkself turned came from behind to win 3-1 and further improved Leverkusen's already strong record against the Red Bulls. Montrell Culbreath stood out with his first goal on his debut for the Black and Reds. While the 18-year-old would certainly like to score a second goal against Leipzig on Saturday night, the attack-minded visitors come to the BayArena in confident mood after five Bundesliga victories in a row. The Nordkurve12 supporters group knows the Werkself will therefore once again be reliant on the vociferous support of the fans, and has once again called for the ‘Finally Red’ campaign in the run-in. Today’s matchday news.
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Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the German Football League (DFL), announced the top male and female selections for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season this week. Bayer 04 striker Vanessa Fudalla is in the starting eleven of the women's "Team of the Season". Alejandro Grimaldo and Aleix Garcia have been selected as bench players in the men's team.
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